BeyoncéOracle Arena
July 10, 2009When Beyoncé (aka "Sasha Fierce," her on-stage alter ego) does an arena tour, all the stops are pulled out. The last time she played in Oakland, she was carried out on stage by shirtless minions who scattered rose petals in her path. This time, she came armed with a season's-worth of awesomely angular
Thierry Mugler costumes, a hot all-girl band, and an awful lot of hair.
Since this star realizes that the considerable magnetism of huge lights, big sound, and couture costumes still aren't enough to keep short attention spans on lock these days, Beyoncé also prepared surprise thrills in the show. Nothing was bigger and more spectacular as when she emerged from a riser built in the stage and shot up a few stories in the air. She wore a long, gold skirt that went on forever, until it fell away and she was just in a short, almost figure skater-inspired outfit. From there, she literally flew over the crowd in the arena, doing somersaults and striking diva poses as she sang her hit "Baby Boy." It's a technique that's been employed in major shows before, to some extent, but it truly was breathtaking.
